2024 NOVMBE 03 VK NATIONAL NEWS BROADCAST ON VK1WIA ------------------------------------------------------------* THE BEST NEWS YOU'LL GET ALL WEEK THIS LINK IS A VIDEO VERSION OF NEWS COMPILED BY VK5BD BEVAN tinyurl.com/WIA-News-Videos ------------------------------------------------------------* NATIONAL NEWS FOR WEEK COMMENCING NOVEMBE 3 2024 IN OUR 29th YEAR OF NON STOP NEWS THIS WEEK:- WIA President, Scott Williams VK3KJ. - WIA Returning Officer, Pete Cherry VK2LP. - WIA YOTA Committee Chairman, Steve VK6SJ. BUT WAIT - THERE'S MUCH MUCH MORE IN THIS EDITION OF NEWS FROM THE WIRELESS INSTITUTE OF AUSTRALIA. I'M EDITOR GRAHAM VK4BB WIA JOIN THE WIA tinyurl.com/yyj87b9y This is WIA President, Scott Williams (VK3KJ) and welcome to all listeners to the National News Broadcast this week. Last week both Peter Clee and myself had the pleasure in attending RadComms in Melbourne. RadComms is the ACMAs Spectrum management conference that brings together government, industry, researchers and those people that are interested in spectrum reform and innovation. The conference was held over two days, and I was able to attend the Thursday sessions and Peter Clee the Friday sessions. It was wonderful to hear from the Minister of Communications (The Honourable Michelle Rowland MP), who opened the conference and gave a keynote address. It was an informative couple of days and there was considerable discussion around the future of satellite direct -to-mobile communications and the future of the 6G network. There was also a great presentations on the future delivery of TV, interference, AI connected networks, wide area consumer networks and a great discussion on what international regulatory developments mean for us. It was also wonderful to catch up and network with so many different ACMA staff and great to see Peter Young VK3MV and Brian Miller VK3MI in attendance. This is the second time I have attended the event representing the WIA and it was the first time Peter Clee had attended. We both enjoyed the event and the key take away for us both is that the Spectrum is a hot and valuable commodity and as amateurs we will need to continue to fight to persevere what we have. Also this week, the ACMA published the Application Process of Amateur Beacons and Repeaters. Frequency Assignment Practices or FAPs as they are known provide guidance on specific issues for frequency assignments. Under Guideline 10, the new Application process has been published on the ACMA website. This now brings to a close several years of work by the WIA to document the entire process for Beacons and Repeater frequency assignment. I would like to especially thank Grant Willis VK5GR who has worked tirelessly to document this process. It was a huge undertaking and like everything that Grant does, it was done professionally and with open consultation.thank you Grantand good luck Grant in your travels to Cocos Keeling Islands this week to be active as VK9CV.look out for Grant and the Team who should be on the bands as this broadcast goes to air. The WIA will also publish the Application Process of Amateur Beacons and Repeaters on our website. We have just set up a landing page and will populate the necessary documents shortly. Keep an eye out on our news items and social media, which will announce its release. Finally, we wish Peter Young VK3MV safe travels to Thailand this week to represent the WIA for Region 3 at the IARU conference in Thailand. The WIA Board met with Peter Young this week to discuss our position on several matters and Peter will advocate and represent the interests of the WIA as a participating member society of the International Amateur Radio Union. The 40 m Band Plan Harmonisation will be one of the topics on the agenda which will I am sure there will be robust discussion. Finally, I want to wish WIA Director Steven Green VK2TSG all the very best and for a fast recovery. Steven has been unwell for several months which has seen him spend considerable time in Hospital. Get well Steven and hopefully we will see you back on board soon. Thats it for me this week and this has been Scott Williams, WIA President on behalf of the WIA Board Best Wishes to you all. Call for Nominations as a Director of the WIA Pursuant to the Constitution of the Wireless Institute of Australia, The Board has determined that the election of directors shall be conducted by ballot. Nominations opened on 1st November 2024. Four directors retire at the conclusion of the next Annual General Meeting which will be held in May 2025, namely Scott Williams VK3KJ, Peter Clee VK8ZZ, Giles Kirby VK5GK and Peter Schrader VK4EA. Each retiring director is eligible for re-election. Nominations are called for from persons seeking election as a director of the WIA. A director must be a voting member of the WIA, must hold an Australian amateur radio license and a Company Director Identification Number. Any person wishing to nominate as a candidate for election as director of the WIA must deliver or cause to be delivered to the Returning Officer a WIA nomination form by not later than 2.30pm on 16th December 2024. The forms are available on the WIA web site or you may telephone the national office to receive a nomination form. tinyurl.com/mr4cabfv Candidate information will be posted online and emailed to members. Members are requested to ensure that their email address is correctly recorded on the WIA membership register. Nominations received by facsimile or by electronic means cannot be accepted. This has been Pete Cherry VK2LP WIA Returning Officer ------------------------------------------------------------* INTERNATIONAL NEWS is with thanks to ARRL, DX-WORLD, eHam, Hackaday, IARU, ICQPodcast, IRTS, NEWSLINE, NZART, RAC, Radioworld.com, RSGB, SARL and the World Wide sources of the WIA. 3 STRIKES AND THEY'RE DOWN. A tower broadcasting a Missouri AM station is the third to be destroyed in October, after the 75-year-old structure collapsed on October 24. A snapped guy wire caused the tower for Joplins KRMO-AM 990 to fall to the northwest, narrowly missing the transmitter hut. According to the Lawrence County Record, Eagle Broadcasting co-owner Dewayne Gandy was mowing near the site when he witnessed the towers sudden fall. The structure, built in 1949, had recently undergone maintenance. The Gandys say they will rebuild the tower on the same site. The collapse is the latest in a string of incidents leading to the destruction of broadcast towers in the USA. A helicopter crash near downtown Houston on October 20 resulted in four fatalities and caused the collapse of a tower broadcasting two TelevisaUnivision stations. They were struck off air when the private touring helicopter made contact with the structure. A hot-air balloon participating in the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta collided with and destroyed a 650-foot AM radio tower October 11. The Bernalillo County Sheriffs Office reported that the balloon, carrying three passengers, landed safely in a nearby field. FELIX VK4FUQ told you about it, and that special event DX has now come and gone. October 18 the RSGB, Mill Hill School and a team of radio amateurs in New Zealand marked the centenary of the first successful two-way trans-global communication between radio amateurs in the UK and New Zealand. The original contact between Frank Bell, 4AA in New Zealand and Cecil Goyder, 2SZ in Mill Hill School in North London was re-enacted at the school on a wavelength as close as possible to the original. Members of 2SZ's family watched the re-enactment and chatted to pupils. As part of wider celebrations for the day, the school put on activities including a build-a-radio workshop. RSGB Life Vice-President Don Beattie, G3BJ said that he was delighted by the success of the event and that it had given pupils the opportunity to learn how ground-breaking that first radio contact was with New Zealand. Call sign G2SZ was operational for four days surrounding the centenary, during which operators achieved approximately 1,250 contacts. A CONTEST A LIL DIFFERENT SWL Contest 2025 For SWLs interested in medium and shortwave broadcast DX, you may be interested to learn about a dedicated SWL contest taking place next year. The contest will start on the 1st of January 2025 and finish on the 28th of February 2025. The categories include the 522 to 1710 kHz medium wave band only, the 2.300 MHz to 26.100 MHz shortwave bands, or a combined medium and shortwave band category. You can use a real radio or a web-based software-defined receiver. Further information may be found via a web search for "SWL Contest 2025". swling.com/blog/2024/10/frank-provides-swl-contest-2025-updated-rules/ Administration Eases Restrictions On Space-Related Exports The Biden administration has eased export restrictions on U.S. commercial space companies to ship certain satellite and spacecraft-related items to allies and partners. The changes are intended to make it easier for the growing U.S. commercial space industry to expand sales while also protecting national security and foreign policy interests. Certain items involving remote sensing spacecraft or space-based logistics assembly, and servicing spacecraft will no longer need licenses for shipment to Australia, as an example, the Commerce Department said. Some less sensitive satellite and spacecraft parts and components will no longer require licenses for shipment to over 40 countries. The countries include Canada, Australia, Japan, South Korea and most of the European Union. Singapores 4300 km Undersea Transmission Line With Australia Clears Regulatory Hurdle. Recently Singapores Energy Market Authority (EMA) granted Sun Cable conditional approval for its transmission line with Australia. Singapore has been faced for years now with the dilemma that its populations energy needs keep increasing year-over-year, while it has very little space to build out its energy-producing infrastructure, least of all renewables with their massive footprints. This has left Singapore virtually completely dependent on natural gas-burning thermal plants. With no nearby countries to obtain excess power from as is common in e.g. the EUs integrated energy market, an idea was floated in 2020 by Australian company Sun Cable for the project, called the Australia-Asia Power Link (AAPL). This would entail two transmission lines: The 800 km long DarwinLink to a yet-to-be-built multi-GW, 12,400 hectares solar farm in the Barkly Region of the Northern Territory. This link would be rated for 4 GW of transmission capacity. The 4300 km long SingaporeLink HVDC line from Darwin to Singapore, rated for 2 GW (1.75 GW after losses). The current planning for the whole Sun Cable project is set for completion by 2035, with construction yet to begin on all components. There are still many uncertainties to be resolved, as the 1.75 GW that would be provided 24/7 to Singapore would have to be backed up by significant grid-level storage on both sides, which is not an easy problem to solve. If completed, it would be the worlds longest electricity transmission line. ------------------------------------------------------------------- OPERATIONAL NEWS - A FELIX VK4FUQ PRESENTATION -------------- -------------- NOW CONTEST WISE:- 2024 -------------- -------------- THIS WEEKEND NOVEMBER 2-3 The International Police Association Radio Club has invited all radio amateurs around the world to take part in its contest which takes place every year on the first complete weekend in November. This year, the CW section Saturday 2 November from 0600 to 1800UTC. The SSB section Sunday 3 November from 0600 to 1800UTC. More information about the contest and the award programme are available at iparc.de (rsgb) -------------- INTERNATIONAL EARTH - MOON - EARTH CONTESTS 0000 UTC on Saturday through 2359 UTC Sunday. 50 to 1296 MHz November 16-17. Work as many amateur stations as possible via the earth-moon-earth path on any authorized amateur frequency in the bands for the specific weekends. EME Logs due back to the ARRL December 17. (arrl) -------------------- VHF UHF Field Day Spring 2024 - 0100 UTC Saturday 23 November through 0059 UTC Sunday 24 November (0400 / 0359 in VK6). wia.org.au/members/contests/vhfuhf/ ------------------- ARRL 160 METER CW December 6-8 is the date this year but it is ALWAYS the first full weekend of December. Begins 2200 UTC Friday, ending 1559 UTC Sunday. This is a forty-two hour period with no time limitation. Logs MUST be returned within seven days (arrl) ------------------------ 10 METER ARRL CONTEST For Amateurs worldwide to exchange QSO information with as many stations as possible on the 10 meter band. Second full weekend of December. Starts 0000 UTC Saturday; runs through 2359 UTC Sunday (December 14-15) Again as in most ARRL Tests logs are to be completed and returned within 7 days. (arrl) -------------- YOTA CONTEST Youth on the air test 3 of 3 will be from 10:00 to 21:59 UTC on 29 December on the five classic bands CW and SSB. (yota) ----------------------------------------------------------------- DX WINDOW TO THE WORLD. ------------------- Special callsign PH 80 LIB will be in use from various locations until the 10th of November to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the liberation of southern Netherlands in the autumn of 1944. PH80LIB will be on the 80 to 10m bands using SSB, CW and digital modes. QSL special station PH80LIB via the Bureau. (rsgb) -------------- Maurizio, IK2GZU is active as 5H3MB from Tanzania until 11 November while doing volunteer work at a local school. In his spare time, he is operating SSB, CW and digital modes on the 80 to 10m bands. QSL via Club Logs OQRS, Logbook of the World, eQSL, or direct via IK2GZU. (rsgb) -------------- OL 80 C.A.R.B.O.N. is active until the 30th of November to mark the 80th anniversary of Operation Carbon during World War Two. This operation involved the dropping of paratroopers in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia. The Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia was a partially-annexed territory of Nazi Germany that was established in 1939 after the German occupation of the Czech lands A team of operators is active using call OL 80 CARBON on CW, SSB and digital modes on the HF bands. More information is available on QRZ.com -------------- Celebrating the 100th anniversary of Radio Belgrade, the Belgrade Amateur Radio Club is active as YT 100 RB and YU 1924 RB until November 30. For details of a certificate that is available, see yu1ano.org (rsgb) ------------------------------------------------------------* WORLD WIDE SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP NEWS WORLD WIDE FLORA, FAUNA PROGRAM 2024 VKFF National Get Together in Bendigo in central Victoria. Over fifty enthusiastic VKFF Parks activators and hunters converged on Bendigo over the weekend of October 25th to 27th, for the VKFF National Get Together. One of the participants was Graeme, VK3GRK who writes The weekend started off with a well attended dinner at the historic Shamrock Hotel, where participants were given their VKFF 'showbag' and pre-ordered merchandise. Saturday presentations at the Quality Hotel Lakeside included tips for Activators and Hunters, mapping, satellites, software and websites, CW and digital modes, antennas and power supplies, and a very interesting presentation about snake awareness and safety by Tameeka from Greater Bendigo Snake Control. There was a selection of excellent raffle prizes, with the proceeds donated to Trees for Life. The Saturday evening dinner featured guest speaker Jordan Crook, Parks and Nature Campaigner from the Victorian National Parks Association. Jordan gave an overview of the VNPA, and their efforts to encourage more funding for programs and organisations that look after our parks. Sunday breakfast was hosted by the Bendigo Amateur Radio and Electronics Club at their club rooms. This was followed by a number of activators heading out to various parks in the area. As a result, the bands were very busy, and some took the opportunity to activate new parks that have recently been added to VKFF. The weekend also provided an opportunity to catch up with Amateur Radio friends, and to 'put a face to a voice and callsign'. Congratulations should go to the VKFF organising team, for a well organised weekend, and no doubt they look forward to seeing you all at the VKFF National Get Together next year - in Canberra. WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS - FINAL FRONTIER AMSAT-VK Secretary - secretary@amsat-vk.org Intelsat Satellite Explodes In Orbit An Intelsat communication satellite built by Boeing has exploded and broken up in geostationary orbit. Intelsat confirmed the news, declaring the satellite a total loss. The U.S. Space Force said it is tracking around 20 associated pieces but has observed no immediate threats to other satellites so far (Roscosmos said it was tracking 80 fragments). The cause of the explosion is not yet known, but the news is another blow for Boeing following Starliners failed crew test flight, problems with the 737 Max and delays to the 777x. Intelsat said its working to move customers to its other satellites or third party spacecraft. A Failure Review Board has convened to complete a comprehensive analysis of the cause, the company wrote. The satellite was uninsured, a spokesperson told SpaceNews. (ans) FUNcube (AO-73) is now in Autonomous mode, meaning high power telemetry when in daylight, and transponder in when the satellite is in eclipse. Controllers are watching the effect on its 11 year old batteries. If the batteries suffer badly they will revert to Eclipse mode. All telemetry will be gratefully received see data.amsat-uk.org/ui/fc1-fm for details. (ANS) WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS - MILITARY Recordings of military transmissions can be found on the Signal Identification Guide Wiki at sigidwiki.com/wiki/Category:Military George, MM0JNL is active as GB0GTS until the 18 November to raise awareness of homeless military veterans in association with The Great Tommy Sleep out organised by The Royal British Legion Industries. The station operates on the 80 to 10m bands using SSB. GB0GTS will operate at least one full night roughing it outside as part of the Great Tommy Sleep out. (RSGB) Could Satellite Signals Un-Stealth Stealth Aircraft? A recent Chinese study shows that Starlink satellites could provide a means for detecting stealth aircraft. Stealth technology is devoted to developing aircraft shapes and surfaces that reduce the radar signature and deflect radar beams. But Chinese researchers have found that aircraft including stealth aircraft cause interference in regular satellite signals that can be analysed to detect their presence, even when they are invisible to radar. This technology would have the added advantage over radar of not requiring easily detectable radar emissions. And as more Starlink satellites are placed in orbit, more opportunity exists for piggybacking on their transmissions for this purpose. Though they noted that their research is still in the experimental stage, the Chinese scientists are already considering using other similar satellite constellations, including those from the Chinese Thousand Sails program. avweb.com/aviation-news/analyzing-interference-in-satellite-beams-could-detect-stealth-military-aircraft/ (VK7WI NEWS) WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- RADIO AMATEUR OLD-TIMERS qcwa.org raotc.org.au Lots of focus on the recruitment of new radio amateurs these days seems to focus on the youth. So good to see an initiative which could easily be adopted here in VK in this era of "over 50's villages".. OK OK I am aware of some with antenna restrictions BUT In the US Homestead Village Amateur Radio Club was invited to set up a display for the county-wide open house for retirement communities and with that the hope to attract some new members for our club. The Homestead Village Amateur Radio Club (HVARC) has an established station in the Homestead Barn, and operates public service events and training for those interested in obtaining their Amateur Radio License. They are equipped to provide direct communications to the Lancaster County Emergency Management Agency offices, as well as the County-Wide Communications 911 centre. The station operates in voice and digital modes and has had contacts globally. Amateur radio has many facets, and the club invites anyone who is interested to explore why they might enjoy it, too, including making new friends not only in their respective villages and retirement facilities but right around the world. shorturl.at/WEB0H (the villager) Hallo everyone, this is Clive VK6CSW reminding you that tomorrow is the first Monday of the month, time for the Radio Amateurs Old Timers Club of Australia's November bulletin to go to air. This month, instead of the usual broadcast, we offer an historical broadcast from years past by Allan Doble, VK3AMD from August 2002. The usual news and information will be broadcast next month. Everyone, RAOTC members and non-Members alike, is most welcome to listen to the program and join in the call backs afterwards. Full details of all transmissions times and modes can be found on the RAOTC website, raotc.org.au or just Google RAOTC broadcasts. Please note that the 10 metre transmission will now start earlier, at 00 hours UTC. If none of the transmission times suit you, you can download the audio file at any time from today, Sunday, from the club website. Members and Friends of the RAOTC in Perth are reminded that the next lunchtime meeting at the new venue, the Woodbridge Hotel, East Guildford, is on Tuesday November 12th. All are welcome, full details are published on the clubs website. Once again, tune in tomorrow for the November RAOTC bulletin, enjoy the program and please join in the call backs afterwards. 73 from Clive VK6CSW. WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- RADIO AMATEUR YOUNG TIMERS - YOTA (Youngsters On The Air) WIA committee:- Steve VK6SJ, Alec VK2MV and Pete VK2LP. Hi, Im Steve VK6SJ from the YOTA Committee at the WIA. Earlier this year I had the pleasure of going to PARGFest down in Mandurah, south of Perth. Big thanks to the Peel Amateur Radio Group for holding it. It was a great event with lots of vendors, clubs showing their wares, raffles and door prizes, great food etc. It was great to see just about, if not all the clubs in the greater Perth area supporting the event as well. Another thing that I thought was really interesting was the amount of young people attending the event, both licensed and not yet. Peel Amateur Radio Group are actively encouraging new young hams into the hobby and I saw a few others being taken under an experienced wing from other clubs also, and afterwards, in my capacity at Ham College, also received a few expressions of interest in our courses from the same kids. I see quite a few new hams come into the hobby from Ham College, from all walks of life. I think our youngest Foundation License attendee was 8 years old (but I may be wrong could be a younger one still a few years back), and we have had quite a few attendees in their 70s come through the college successfully. As the proud father of a couple of hams also, I see that what interested me both now and as a younger ham in the late 70s and early 80s is completely different to what interests our younger generation. And it is different, not better or worse. For us children of the 70s, without the internet, when the world was about the size of the city you lived in, and talk to your Grandma in the eastern states (where-ever that is) was something you did on Christmas Day and Birthdays, talking to someone on the other side of the world was just wonderous. Now, this is old hat, although I and plenty of others still get a real kick out of talking to someone in the EU with a piece of wire and 100W. To younger people, I could imagine this is less wonderous but talking to the Space Station, or bouncing a signal off the moon, or exploring a new digital radio technology is much more fun. Coupled with the fact that younger people tend to use text more than voice calls on a phone, so using a radio with low power and a simple antenna on FT8 is something they find very cool. Funnily enough, most of the younger hams I have met seem to have far more interest in the technical side of the hobby than I had at that age. While I spent my career as a radio technician, on amateur radio, Ive always been more of a communicator, more interested in getting a card from Clipperton Island than about exploring a new modulation technique etc. I think these differences are something to be celebrated. Instead of our hobby becoming less and less relevant to society, new people coming into the hobby are finding lots of ways to explore the technology and have fun. The sheer volume of different ways to enjoy our hobby compared to what we had in the 70s is just breath taking and part of why, I think, the amateur population in WA is actually growing (or not shrinking at least). So how do we attract more people to the hobby? Lets face it, once we middle aged hams like myself are in our 70s, if we are still the youngsters in the hobby, who is going to help us put up a new yagi or tower? Better start recruiting some new slaves (sorry, I meant new members! :D ). Well, most of us have families, so there is a start. Maybe there is a neighbour who is curious about the funny looking antenna in your yard. Maybe clubs could start doing some work on their web sites to attract more local members from the general public? Most clubs have at least one or two web gurus. Maybe look at some Search Engine Optimisation to increase the audience of your web site. Is it a good advert for your club? Scouts and Guides are another great source of new members. JOTA is the perfect time to show younger people the fun of the hobby and encourage them to think about getting a license. Most if not all clubs here have at least a few people who are registered examiners. Talk to your local scout groups about running a Foundation course. Great way to recruit new members. Instead of dragging all your old radios to yet another ham fest, think about giving it to a newly licensed ham in your club. There are lots of things we can do in our own worlds to increase interest in the hobby. I encourage you all to think about this and maybe even bring it up as a discussion point at your next club meeting. Thanks for listening. This is Steve, VK6SJ. --------------------------------------------------------------------- 2024 IT'S A DATE Clubs are welcome to email text with audio for this section Details of all WIA affiliated clubs and societies can be found on the WIA website, including email addresses and website links. ---------------------------- VK7 - Tasmanian Ham Conference November 2 and 3 Hobart is in full swing right now. VK3 - SPARC Rosebud RadioFest November 17 at Eastbourne Primary School, Allambi Ave. Rosebud Now NEXT week, the 10th we'll have Andrew, VK3CAH, from the Southern Peninsula Amateur Radio Club with the Up To Date news for their 17th event. Submitting news items To submit audio, email nationalnews@wia.org.au and send BOTH the audio and the text We would appreciate items certainly no longer than 1.5 mts in length as we only have a half hour. Remember the sooner you submit material the more the likelihood of it being broadcast in the very next edition of WIA National News. Each recorded item will only be broadcast once, if you want a couple of mentions, please submit different slants to keep your event 'fresh' and always if the news room is to read your item --- write it in the 3rd person. (First if YOU are reading your own item). If you are mentioning your own name / call in the story, say something like "and myself, Pat, vk11abc" ------------------------------------------------------------* How do I leave this National News List? (unsubscribe your weekly feed) Open mail program which sends mail from the address you want to unsubscribe from. Send unsubscribe to the list unsubscribe address vk1wia-news-leave@lists.wia.org.au You will be sent a confirmation mail and must follow the instructions given in that mail to complete the unsubscription. Once your unsubscription has been processed, you will probably receive a message confirming your unsubscription from the list and at that point you should stop receiving messages. ------------------------------------------------------------*